Aesthetic Positive Pedagogy - Aspiring to Empowerment in the Classroom and Beyond

This book introduces and explores a new pedagogical approach, Aesthetic Positive Pedagogy (APP), for teachers and students in a variety of educational contexts. The book is built on the need for educational institutions and communities to seriously consider a strong positive approach to learning and teaching, ultimately leading to a better world. Based on pre-existing philosophies such as positive pedagogy and critical pedagogy, APP encourages teachers to carefully consider their language use as well as other modal resources in the classroom. Using aesthetic experience as a core to learning, teachers can embed an approach to learning and teaching that supports wellbeing and resilience as well as caring and compassionate citizenship in their students. The authors outline what an APP approach to learning and teaching looks, feels and sounds like in different educational contexts such as in schools and higher education, and explore how it might be implemented in face-to-face as well as online learning. The book's findings will apply to postgraduate students and academics in education and the creative arts, as well as teachers and leaders in schools.

Georgina Barton is Professor of Literacies and Pedagogy in the School of Education at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia.
Katie Burke is Senior Lecturer in Arts Curriculum and Pedagogy in Initial Teacher Education at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia.